The National Anticorruption Center (NAC) identified ambiguities and shortcomings in the process of appraising the Government decision on the audit of the debt owed by Moldovagaz to Gazprom. It noted these shortcomings can generate preconditions of corruption and should be removed, IPN reports.

The first objection to the expertise report on the audit of the debt owed by Moldovagaz to Gazprom and final factors for the gas supplied to consumers on the right side of the Nistru is that these “final factors”  that are to be subject to an independent audit are not defined. But this ambiguity concerning the circle of subjects covered by the audit can lead to the appearance of corruption risks related to the processes described in the normative document.

The bill also does not clearly specify the procedure for choosing the company that is to perform the audit. The unclear provisions concerning the public procurement procedure for the audit service can generate corruption risks and integrity incidents on the part of functionaries of the Public Property Agency that is responsible for the implementation of the norm, said NAC.

Also, the bill meets the requirements concerning legislative technique and decisional transparency only partially, but these are key in the promotion of any normative document. Consequently, the author (Government) is recommended to annex the draft negotiation protocol concerning the regulation of problems in the field of natural gas.

Recently, Parliamnwert asdopted a bill on the gas sector audit proposed by a group of PAS MPs. The Court of Auditors will check if the activities and financial transactions of the commercial organizations and specialized entities operating in the natural gas sector are in full compliance with the legal provisions. The conducting of the audit was decided by Parliament. The audit report will be presented until November 30, 2022.